Local Ballaghaderreen News

Comhdháil an Chraoibhín / Douglas Hyde Conference 2012

A Constitution for a 21st Century Republic

On Friday 26th October the 2012 the Douglas Hyde Conference will take place in the BMW Conference Room, Dillon House, Ballaghaderreen, Co. Roscommon for a one day event.

Roscommon County Council, supported by the Western Development Commission once again brings together a number of leading thinkers, academics, commentators and speakers to discuss and debate this year’s theme of A Constitution for a 21st Century Republic.

After 75 years, the Irish Constitution (Bunreacht na hÉireann 1937) is being reviewed under government proposals for a Constitutional Convention. The body will consist of“a representative group of 66 citizens, 33 elected representatives from both parts of the island and an independent chair.

The convention intends to examine the system of election to the Dáil, votes for citizens at Irish embassies abroad, same-sex marriage, amending the clause on women in the home, increasing women’s participation in politics, removing the offence of blasphemy, reducing the term of the Presidency from seven to five years, reducing the voting age to seventeen years and will also be free to consider “other relevant constitutional amendments”.

The constitutional convention has been hailed as a bold step forward, a change for the better: it has also been criticised as a waste of money, a trivial and unimportant exercise, a toothless process with a limited agenda and limited participation.

There is a growing body of important opinion challenging this Convention on the grounds that a far more thoroughgoing process of review is needed, a process that might indeed lead to an entirely new Constitution.

The Douglas Hyde Conference provides a forum for an interesting and provocative day’s reflection.

The conference will again be convened and chaired by poet and broadcaster Theo Dorgan. Further details on www.roscommonarts.com or by contacting dhydeconference@roscommoncoco.ie and to Mary Mullins at mmullins@roscommoncoco.ie